Pipe-cleaning device



Patentedy MICHAEL J. HEIDELBERG,

or sr.- LoUIs, ouai.

PIPE-CLEANING DEVICE.

Application filed June 1o, 1921. serial No. erases.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL J. HEIDEL- BERG, a citizen of the United States, and residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented the new and useful Improvement in Pipe- Cleaning Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for clean ing or clearing pipes, and is more partielllarly adapted for cleaning waste pipes including the trap thereof.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide means for operating a wire tool in the pipe so as to quickly and effectively clear the same of obstructions.

Another object of this invention is to proy vide means whereby such a toolmay be progressively fed into the pipe and operated while being fed.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for guidin the wire when inserting the same into t e pipe and to support the wire so guided during operation.

Further objects will appear from the detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 vis a view in elevation of the de- .vice embodying this invention showing the method of inserting the tool into the pipe tra Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2, Figure l;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of the guiding head;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of the chuck;v l f Figure 5 is an end view of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged View of the reamer attached to the end of the wire; and

Figure 7 is aneud view of Figure 6.

Referring to the accompanying drawing,

' Figure 1 shows a frame consisting of a top plate 1 supported by iron pipe legs 2 which are joined'near their ends by a lower plate 3 adapted to lbrace the legs 2 and to provide a lower support for some of the operating connections as will be hereinafter described.

Mounted on the upper plate 1 in a bracket 4 is a vreel 5 adapted to carry the wire 6 which is used for operating the tool. The wire 6 may be round or square or of any other suitable figure in cross-section and heavy enough to transmit the required rotary movement to the tool. but flexible enough to he easily passed through the bends of the pipe. 'Ihe part of the wire 6 not in therein.

use is wound upon the reel l5.. The reel 5 is suspended by a swivel 7 from the bracket 4 in order to permit the reel to rotate in aocordance with the movement of the wire.

Mounted in a suitable bearing inthe top plate 1 is a sleeve 8 carrying at its upper end a bevelj gear 9 and at its lower end below the plate 1 a spur gear 10. Movably mounted in the sleeve 8 and -splined thereto 65 or otherwise suitably arranged for rotation with the sleeve 8 while permitting longitudinal movement therethrough, is a hollow shaft 11. r1`he shaft 11 carries at its lower I end a chuck 12 adapted to clutch the wire 70 6 which is passed ,through the body of the shaft 11. `The shaft 11 also passes through a cross-head 13. 'Collars 14 and 15 fixed to the shaft above and below the cross-head prevent theshaft from sliding through the cross head while permittingV- it to rotate The cross-head 13 is mounted to slide vertically on a pair of guide rods 16 mounted in the plates 1 and 3 and is in threaded engage- 30 ment with a screw 17 vertically mounted for rotation in the plates 1 and 3. The u p-v per end of the screw 17 is provided with a journal working in a sleeve 18 rotatably'. mounted 1n the plate 1 and carrying at its 85 lower end a gear y19 adapted to mesh with the gear 10 on thesleeve 8. The sleeve 18 also carries below the gear 19 a clutch member 2O adapted to engage another clutch member 21 fixed 4to the screw 17. An oper- 90' ating lever 22 pivotally mounted on one of` the legs 2 is adapted to throw the member 21 into and` out of engagement with the stop the screw the threaded bore of a split collar 26 between 105 the outer split ends of which are confined a set of jaws 27 having exterior bevel surfaces adapted to engage the interior bevel surfaces of the clamping collar 28 fixed to the collar 26. The rear ends of the jaws 110 27 are adapted to abut against the end of the shaft 11 so that when 'the chuck is screwed up on the shaft, the jaws 27 will be forced forward and, by engagement with the bevel surface of the clamping collar 28., will bev forced inwardly to clutch the wire.

In Figure 6 is illustrated a tool which may be used with vthis device. .This comprises a tapered fiuted reamer 29 which may be detachably secured to the wire 6 by Ineans of a chuck 30 or other suitable means.

Usually the most easily accessible opening of a waste pipe is the trap 31 shown in Figure 1. `When such a trap is located below the surface of the ground access is usually obtained thereto through a pipe connectionA 32 extending to the surface. lin order to guide the wire in this part of the pipe, a pipe or conduit 33 is provided adapted to extend into the trap 31 and having a bent end 34 adapted to guide the wire around the lower curve of the trap. rllhe conduit 33 may be provided with guiding heads at both ends adapted to guide vand centralize the wire in the conduit. rlhese heads may be constructed as shown in Figf ure 3. A cylindricalplug 35 is arranged to be fixed in the end of the conduit 33 as by means of the set-screw 36. rl`his plug has a tapered bore 37 adapted to guide the wire through the central opening 38 in the end thereof. The plug 35 has a reduced portion adapted to fit loosely into a cup 39 which is in turn adapted 'to fit loosely within the conduit rlhe cup 39 is removably attached to .the plug 35 by means of a circular spring wire A() which is snapped into a pair of corresponding grooves in the interior surface of the cup 39 and the eri:- terior surface of the plug 35, as shown in Figure 3. By this arrangement the cup 39,v which has a central opening 11 through which the wire 6 passes, is permitted to rotate on the plug 35 with the rotation of the wire 6.

ln using this device the wire leaving the reel 5 ispassed through the bore of the shaft 11 thence through a guide bushing 42 in the bottom plate 3 and is then passed through the conduit 33, after which the reamer 29 or other suitable tool is attac-hed to the end thereoi. 'llhe conduit 33 is then inserted into the pipe so that the bent end 34 will follow the bend of the trap 31. The frame of the machine is then placed over the pipe 32 in such a way that the wire will feed properly from the bushing 42 into the conduit 33. The, cross-head 13 having been worked to its topmost position, the chuck 12 is operated toclutch the wire.

rlhe operator now turns the crank 25 which by means of the gears 23 and 9 will rotate the shaft which in turn will rotate the wire 6 so as to rotate the tool 29 in the pipe. Rotation of the gear 9' will also rotate the gear 10 on thelower end of the ioaeaaoa sleeve 8. The gear 10 will drive the gear 19 with which it meshes. The operator may now work the handle 22 to throw the clutch member 21 into cooperation with the member 20 so as to rotate the screw 17. Rotation of the screw 17 will now feed the cross-head 13 downward so as to feed the wire in to the pipe. llVhen the wire has advanced into the pipe a distance corresponding to the travel of the cross-head 13, the chuck 12 may be loosened and the crosshead retracted by reversing the rotation of the crank 25.l

It will, therefore, be seen that a very convenient and effective device folr clearing pipes is hereby provided. peration of the crank 25 will not only `rotate the chuck 12 so as to rotate the tool in the pipe but will also, when the. clutch` member 21 has been thrown into engagement with the member 20, operate to feed the tool into the pipe, and these two operations may be carried on simultaneouslv or the feed may be interrupted at the will of the operator. llt will be noted that a inea-ns for positively feeding or projecting the wire into the pipe and against obstructions are provided. The wire is guided through a great part of its length or until it arrives at such a point where no guiding means can be further inserted. The combined rotary and feeding movement of the tool are effective in disintegrating 'the material of whatever obstructions may be encountered so that the same may subsequently be flushed out. During all of the operations, the wire feeds freely from the reel 5 and this reel can rotate freely on the swivel 7 in accordance with the rotation of the shaft 11. y

lt is obvious that various changes may be made in details of construction without `departing from the spirit of this invention; it is, therefore, to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specic details shown and described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A pipe cleaning device employing a wire tool, comprising. a frame, a chuck mounted for movement on said frame, means for guiding the wire to said chuck. said chuck being adapted to clutch the wire at various points therealong, and means for operating said chuck in order to Work the tool in the pipe.

2. A pipe cleaning device employing a wire tool, comprising, a frame, a chuck mounted for movement on said frame` means for guiding the wire to said chuck, said chuck being adapted to clutch the wire at various points thcrealong, and means for operating said chuck adapted to rotate the fool in the pipe.

3. A pipe cleaningdevice employing a wire tool, comprising, a frame, a chuck mounted for movement on said frame, means for guiding the Wire to said chuck, said chuck being adapted to clutch the Wire at various points therealong, and means for operating said chuck adapted to project the tool into'the pipe and to rotatev the tool therein.

4. A pipe cleaning device employing a wire tool, comprising, a frame, a chuck mounted for lmovement on said frame and adapted to clutch the Wire, areel for the Wire, and means lfor operating said chuck adapted to feed the Wire yfrom said reel and into the pipe. p

5. A pipe cleaning device employing a Wire tool, comprising, a frame, a chuck mounted for movement on saidframe and adapted to clutch the Wire, a reel for vthe wire swiveled on said frame, and means for operating said chuck to rotate the tool in the pipe. y

6. A pipe cleaning device employing a wire tool, comprising, a frame, a chuck mounted for movement on said frame and adapted to clutch the wire, a reel for the Wire, means for operating said chuck to rotate the tool in the pipe, and means adapted to permit rotation of said reel in accordance With the rotation of the tool.

7. A pipe cleaning device employing a Wire tool, comprising, a frame, a chuck mounted for movement on said frame and adapted to clutch the Wire, means for operating said chuck to rotate the tool in the pipe and a movable cross-head adapted to feed the tool.

8. A pipe cleaning device employing a wire tool, comprising, a frame, a chuck mounted for movement on said frame and the tool and to move said cross-head to feed the tool.

9. A pipe cleaning device employing a wire tool, comprising, a frame, a chuck mounted for movement on'said frame and ada ted to clutch the Wire, a movable crosshea adapted to movabl support said chuck, driving means adaptedI to rotate the tool and to move said cross-head to feed the tool,

' and means for interrupting the feed of the tool.

10. A pipe cleaning device employing a Wire too, comprising, a frame, a chuck va Wire tool, a conduit adapted to enter the adapted to movably support said,

pipe, and means for guiding thewire for ment along said conduit.

13. In a pipe cleaning device employing a wire tool, a conduit adapted to enter the pipe having a bent. portion, and means for guiding the wireV for movcmentalong said conduit.

14. In a pipe cleaning device employing a Wire tool, a conduit adapted to enter the pipe and along which the Wire is moved, and means at an end of said conduit adapted to guide the issuing wire into and along the pipe.

15. In a pipe cleaning device employing a l Wire tool, a conduit adapted to enter the pipe and along which the Wire is moved, and guiding means at each end of said conduit.

16. In a pipe cleaning device employing a wire tool, a conduit adapted to enter the pipe andl along which the wire is moved, and guiding means at one end of said conduit adapted to center'the Wire therein.

17. A pipe cleaning device employing a Wire tool, comprising, a frame, a chuck mounted for movement on said frame and adapted to clutch the Wire, a conduit adapted to enter the pipe, means vfor guiding the Wire in said conduit, and means for operating fsaid chuck in order to work the tool in the pipe. v

18. In the art of clearing pipes of obstructions, the process comprising, inserting the Working end of a stiff wire into the pipe While Ithe trailing end is reeled, and feeding the working end along the pipe While the reeled part is-` rotated. z

19. In the art of clearing pipes of obstructions, the process comprising, inserting the Working end of a stiff wire into the pipe While the trailing end is reeled, rotating the Wire and the reeled part, and feeding the working end along the pipe While the reeled part is unwound.

20. A device for clearing pipes of obstructions comprising, a plain stiff Wire having a Working tool at one end and having the trailing end thereof reeled, said-Wire and its reeled lpart being adaptedfor rotation and unwinding assaid tool is fed along the pipe.

21. A device for clearing pipes of ob structions comprising, a Wire havingv a working tool at one end and having the trailing end thereof reeled, and means for rotating said Wire and its rreeled part and for feeding saidvtool along the pipe.

In testimony whereof .T aiix my signature this 17th day of May, 1921.

MICHAEL J HEIDELBERG.`

esv 

